Isolated: Mrs Veal's body was found at her home at the end of a farm track off Crow Arch Lane in Ringwood, Hampshire

The body of an animal lover was gnawed and eaten by her own cats after she died at home alone, a court heard.

The decomposing corpse of Janet Veal, 56, was discovered on the kitchen floor of her isolated house in Ringwood, Hampshire, on April 4.

Neighbours had raised the alarm having not seen her for some time and noticing that her letterbox was overflowing, Southampton Coroner's Court was told.

Inside they found 'a distressing scene'. There were a number of dead animals - including a cat and a dog - in the kitchen and living room, but others had survived.

It is believed the hungry animals had begun to eat their owner after being left without food for months.

PC Dave Ivey said the house had clearly not been aired for numerous weeks and he could not see the floor for all the rubbish.

The court heard that Mrs Veal was something of a recluse and had become estranged from her husband.

Recording a death from natural causes, coroner Keith Wiseman said: 'These animals had been, the officer thought, confined in these two rooms downstairs for what may well have been a period of many weeks, stretching quite possibly into several months.'

Which only proves people who are older and live alone should wear one of those emergency alarm things around their necks. (John Walsh advertises one - I trust him.) You have a few seconds of consciousness no matter what happens to you, I think - enough time to push it. Had she had one, probably none of that would have happened.

I am 67 and recently tripped on a bed frame in my garage. I was knocked unconscious and almost bled to death, losing almost 40 percent of my blood, before I was taken by ambulance to a hospital. My Springer Spaniel may have saved my life because he continued to lick the blood from the most serious wound until it stopped. I have slipped and fallen several times in my shower so I am now considering something like the Life Line.